Airplane



G. LOENING May 24, 1932.

AIRPLANE Filed Nov. 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z INVENTOR BY 7 A TTOR/V'EY G. LOENING I May 24, 1932.

AIRPLANE INVENTOR A TTORNE Y Patented May 24, 1932 NHTED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE GBOVER LOENING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GROVEIR LOENING AIRCRAFT COMPANY, INC., 0F GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK, A COB-IORA'IION' OF NEW YORK AIRPLANE Application filed November 7,1930. Serial No. 493,944.

The subject of this invention is an airplane body the entire tail structure of which can be folded over on the fuselage or other rearwardly extending frame to secure compactness in stowing. A special object of this im provement is to enable the machine to be stowed in a tank of as small size as possible carried by a submarine. The purpose is, therefore, to reduce length and width, without increasing height. Means of a simple and effective nature are provided for solidly locking the tail frame section in rearward extension with the main frame when the airplane is to be used. The invention is applicable to land planes, seaplanes or flyingboats.

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the rear portion of the body of a flying-boat with the tail section with all the empennage folded over on the main frame, the broken lines showing the tail structure in position for flight.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the folded condition.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation showing the tail structure folded as before.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan View on a larger scale, with a portion in section, show ing a taper pintle hinge which can be tightened or loosened, this hinge connecting the tail with the main frame.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing a taper pin locking means for fastening and unfastening the tail.

The drawings illustrate the rear portion 2 of the flotation body of a flying-boat, this part being representative of any body, fuselage or frame, whether enclosed or not which forms part of the supporting structure of the airplane and which ordinarily extends rearward to the tail. In the present invention, however, this body or frame terminates close in front of the tail, and a separate tail end section 3 is constructed to carry the fin 4, the rudder 5, the stabilizer 6 and the rudder 7. This tail can be disposed in rearward extension with the main frame, that is to say with the empennage or group of tail surfaces in proper positions for flight, and can also be displaced for compact stowing.

The tail'frame section, or tail support, is preferably hinged to the main frame, at the top of their adjoining regions, the hinge being marked 8, so that the tail can be folded forward over the mainframe, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. Hinging of thetail is advantageous for reasons of strength and simplicity and because it permits the tail to fold without disconnecting or disarranging the control cables which operate the rudder and elevators, but the tail section may be entirely disconnectible and indeed that is possible with the construction illustrated herein.

It is highly important that when the tail is placed'in the service position it be'not only strongly fastened but that it be secured in a manner which insures rigidity. This is provided for in the hinge and fastenings forming part of the invention. The preferred form of these devices will now be described, but it will be understood that other equivalent constructions may be employed.

Hinge members 9 are fixed to therear end of the main frame 2, at the upper corner regions, and complementary hinge members 10 are fixed to the tail frame section 3. The interfitting lugs 11, 12 of these hinge members have tapering pintle openings, so formed that the taper of the openings is continuous in the group of lugs of each hinge. The openings of the hinge lugs are fitted by correspondingly tapered pintles 13 which can be drawn or forced in the direction of their smaller ends so as to bind wedgingly in the pintle sockets, thereby producing a solid connection, free of all looseness, when the machine is to be flown.

- A common means is preferably provided for tightening and loosening the hinges, though the provision of a common device is not essential. In the construction illustrated the stems 14 of the pintles are screw-threaded into a turnbuckle sleeve 15, which'can be turned by a handle 16 either directly or through a ratchet.

Socket members 17 and 18 are fixed to the adjoining portions of the main frame and claims.

into them for purpose of adjustment, these eyes, only one of which is seen in Fig. 5, be-

ing pivoted to push and pull links 24, which 'in turn are pivotallyconnected to a'double arm 25, which is loosely pivoted at 26 to the tail support and has a handle 27 for turning it. 'When this handle is turned in one direction the pins 21 are withdrawn suflic-iently from the sockets to permit the members 17 and 18 to separate for folding or displacement of the tail. Movement of the handle in the opposite direction thrusts the tapered locking pins forcibly into the sockets, binding them tightly together, in which condition the pins are held .as shown in 5.

Asa further part of the invention the sta bilizers 6 are connected to the fin 4 in such manner that the stabilizers, and with them the elevators can either be disconnected or, preferably, can be folded in towardthe fin, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that the machine may be stowed in as narrow a space as possible. For this purpose, the stabilizers are preferably connected tov the fin by hinges 28 and pins 29, and socket fittings 30 are provided for locking the stabilizers in their extended or flying positions.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the very substantial contraction in length and width which are made possible by the invention when the body is to be stowed in a cylindrical tank or other small space. This is accomplished with little or no increase in height of the empennage when folded. v

It is desired that the drawings and description be understood as being illustrative of a preferred mode of carrying out the inve tion rather than inv a limiting sense, since numerous changes may be made and various equivalent constructions may be devised without departing from the scope of theappended I claim pins in different directions to tighten them simultaneously in the sockets by operation of the handle.

2. In an airplane body having a rearwardly extending frame and a separate tail end section which carries all the empennage and which can be folded over the main frame,

hinge means connecting said tail end section the sockets.

4. In an airplane body, the combination with a main rearwardly extending frameand afoldable tail end section, of hinge means connecting said tail end section with the main frame, and fastening means for locking said tail end section to the main frame in .the

flying position, said hinge means and said fastening means each compr1s1ng tapered tail end section which carries all the empen nage and which is hinged'to the top of said frame adjacent the empennage, so that the empennage can be folded forwardly on top of said frame, said empennage comprising a fin and stabilizers, said stabilizers being hingedly connected to said fin so that they can be folded in toward the fin, the combination enabling length and width to bereduced without increasing height.

GRQVER LOENING.

. 1. An airplane body havinga separate tail end section which carries all the empennage and which can be displa'ced'for compact stowing, and fastenings comprising complementary sockets on the adjoining portions of the main frame and the-tail end section, in

combination with taper pins for connecting .and disconnecting said sockets, an operating handle and connections between said handle 

